The Melancholy of Kaidou Shun
by the bird of the chapel
Summary: Kaidou has changed for the better. So why is it that just when he got his life in order, bizarre, suspicious things start to happen around him? Maybe it has something to do with the fanfic's plot. The blatant reference in the title sounds like a major hint, too. I, ordinary psychic, Saiki Kusuo is on the case.
1. Unusual Ordinary Days

**Chapter 1: Unusual Ordinary Days**

* * *

My ordinary school days had these anecdotes: turning back the English teacher's time by one day to stop a cardiac arrest from happening, locating the bomber's location with clairvoyance and implanting the thoughts to various FBI agents, using hypnosis to make it seem like I was in the beetle-dissection class and teleporting a hundred miles from the classroom.

Do they all seem too heroic for you? (Well, except the last one, but you will change your mind soon enough.) What my actions appear like to others was just an unfortunate consequence of my diligent attempts to avoid attracting attention. You see, I was alone in the men's restroom when my English teacher came in by accident. When she saw what I was doing with my hand, the shock sent her into a cardiac arrest. I knew she was going make an honest mistake (even though sign of the men's restroom looked nothing like the principal's office's), but I didn't think she would have such an overreaction to what I was furiously rubbing up and down with a cream…

That's right. This teacher had an extreme case of carpophobia, the fear of exposed wrists. A mosquito had gotten the better of me and bit me on the wrist. I've never had mosquito bites ever, so the itch was unbearable to my never-been-bitten skin. The water I froze and chopped to perfect ice cubes helped little to relieve me, so I apported Antihistamine cream from the nurse's office and applied it to the bite. It's pretty embarrassing to go to the nurse's office for a single mosquito bite, so I had to do it discreetly.

In any case, I turned back her time for her so that I wouldn't have to be interviewed by the police and entertain the possibility of a mourning family asking me what her last moments were like.

It might have been an unusual fear, but it was still someone else's worst nightmare. What seemed small for you might be important for others. The cause might seemed silly, but it would have been a tragedy regardless.

Having your school explode would be another tragedy, yes. But realistically, that would never happen while I'm around. Among the dreary fog of shallow and mundane thoughts of teenagers, a bomber's hyper-excited fascination with high school-related explosions was like a fire alarm sounding in my head. FBI agents were already hot on her trail, so all I did was feed them the information. This was after I lured the bomber to a ditch I made outside the school gates. I wouldn't want the FBI raiding the school and causing a commotion. Even if the bomber were caught beforehand, the media would make a frenzy of such a threat in the local school.

I don't want any of that. The media, especially, should stay away from me.

And bugs. I'm sort of fine with dead ones. As long as they weren't moving, bugs don't scare me. Our laboratory class required us to dissect live bugs to study their digestion. Naturally, everyone found this revolting. The class suddenly banded together and made a heated debate on animal cruelty. Even Nendou participated, which I didn't find to be completely surprising since he took good care of the hamster I gave him. But before the intellectual discussion could truly develop, that was when the evil started to pour out in waves…

My unquenchable thirst for revenge.

Just as the controversial method for the pursuit of knowledge revealed an unexpectedly philosophical side in my classmates, it also drew out something from my depths… Years of suppressed malice. I was eager to cut open these unmoving creatures and poke their beating organs with a sharp scalpel for all the joy they had slurped from my misery. I can't actually read their minds, so I wouldn't know if they were even capable of emotions. But who cares? Definitely not me.

Consider this twisted side of me as a sneak-peek to what I would have been if my disdain for humanity carried past childhood. Instead of a tranquilized beetle, you would have something bigger and fleshier squirming on the table right now. Except I wouldn't be afraid of skittering meat-bags either. In fact, I might have preferred moving targets.

This malice of mine was so strong that it was making my classmates and the teacher sick. A shout from another classroom that somebody fainted was the intervention I needed to snap out of it. I used hypnosis on Takashi (after having him fall asleep; I don't want to get involved in the debate) and waited it out from somewhere else, or else I would be succumbing to my dark side in the next 20 minutes.

I protected my school for the greatest evil that could have existed, but really, I just didn't want to be the only student who didn't fall to a mysterious illness that day. That would be too suspicious.

 _Yare, yare_. This was just an ordinary day in school. My ordinary days full of trouble and annoyances because I couldn't be standing out in attention. Otherwise, people were going to start suspecting that I have psychic powers.

I wouldn't want to stand out even if I didn't have psychic powers. But the second part was the root of all my problems. If I didn't have psychic powers, life would be simple, enjoyable, and full of surprises.

* * *

It was the usual morning with Nendou bothering me before I could even take my seat.

"Oi. Oi. Oi. Oi. Oi."

And this time, he wasn't even speaking human.

Ignoring Nendou never works.

What do you want, Nendou?

Nendou's boorish face darkened to an uncanny grin. Don't worry, this was just how he smiles. On second thought, be worried.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked. I want a million yen. Can you give me some?"

Responding to Nendou never works.

"Oi, _chibi_!" Nendou waved to Kaidou, who arrived moments after me. "You feel like having a million yen, too?"

Kaidou looked up, confused for a moment. "Huh? What brought this up?"

"Huh?" said Nendou, equally confused for some reason. "I dunno. _Aibou_ was asking."

Yes. I admit to this particular crime. I should have known better than to indulge Nendou.

Kaidou laughed as he set his bag down on his desk. "You phrase things as weirdly as ever."

Does it really have something to do with phrasing?

"Well, it's usually not the phrasing, but the actual content of what you say…" amended Kaidou as though he read my mind (which he didn't. I am the psychic, not Kaidou.)

Nendou paused, as if to think. Emphasis on "as if."

"Oh, I'll keep that in mind then." said Nendou. He noticed something about Kaidou, an evil glint crossing his eyes. " _Chibi_ , where's that seal on your right hand? Isn't the world going to split in half from the immense power locked away in it?"

I'm impressed you kept up with the lore, but it's a bit too early to be savage to Kaidou. It's bad enough that Dark Reunion has most likely noticed Kaidou's mistake already.

"Yeah," grinned Nendou. "We're all in danger now. Don't worry though, _Aibou_ and I can take care of ourselves. Aren, too, probably." (Actually accurate. I'd add Mera in the list.)

Kaidou visibly flinched. "Stop that!" He looked annoyed, maybe even a bit angry. He also said it reflexively, so there were no thoughts for me to read to supplement a better description for his reaction. "Class is about to start…" He excused himself by pretending to be busy with a textbook.

"School isn't over?" exclaimed Nendou, horrified.

Kaidou was determined to occupy himself. I could hear him reading the same line from the textbook all over again. He was reading the preface.

* * *

I thought it was already odd that Kaidou came to class after me. To minimize the time I have to spend listening to others before homeroom, I didn't go to school fifteen minutes before the first bell. If I wanted to, I could appear right at the last second with teleportation, but that would attract too much attention. I also prefer to emulate the normalcy of going to school if possible.

Kaidou always came sooner than Nendou and I. His "mama" have him and his siblings be at school an hour earlier. I know Kaidou would walk around the neighborhood and pop out toward the school to make it seem like he was going at the same time as everybody did. He not so subtly asked each of us what time we woke up and left the house. He did it to us individually, recycling the same roundabout script that ended with: "…And what time do you go to school? It's for research purposes I promise."

Fortunately, we all knew Kaidou was a harmless puppy. I heard he responded really well to biscuits.

But throughout the day, I couldn't figure out what might be wrong with Kaidou. None of his thoughts were giving away the exact details. Rather, they only made me worried. Kaidou had been paying attention to class. He did not doze off or skipped off to La-La Land like usual.

Maybe he was finally taking his studies seriously. If so, I'm proud of him… But was that really all?

I have a finale to watch later, so I can't tail him to find out. I'll see what happens tomorrow. If it persists, maybe someone else will take notice of it and the mystery will finally be solved.

When school ended, I got home without fanfare. I was able to watch the satisfying conclusion of an anime I liked and satisfied my sweet tooth with strawberry shortcake from Grandma. It was a calm, satisfying day, my perfect day.

Kaidou had other friends. If something were bothering him, I'm sure he'll be fine.

* * *

Okay, it's been a month and no one ever brought up the fact the Kaidou had reformed. As in – _nobody_. At this point, it wasn't just Kaidou who was being weird. It was everybody else – weirder than usual, anyway.

I could understand if they'd simply come to a quiet understanding in how to deal with this transformation. Kaidou did seem upset when Nendou and I poked fun of him last month. They might be annoying, but they weren't insensitive. They could have chosen to respect Kaidou's feelings.

But not once did I ever hear any of them acknowledge it in their thoughts. Yumehara, who was heads-over-heels to a fantasy version of Kaidou in her head, had happily basked Kaiduo's newfound social power to hold a normal conversation. Maybe her fantasy was coming true bits by bits.

 _Oooo, Kaidou-kun. Yours words fill my ears with the sweet temptation of a snake… Those devilish eyes undressing me, wishing to make me suffer…_

Never mind. It's absurd how she got even more delusional. I don't appreciate the scene that was forever injected in my brain either.

I was relying on Nendou to bring up the obvious with his usual idiocy. He still did, but not with the specific subject I wanted.

"Hey, _chibi_. Why do you have blue hair? I find it to be very ordinary."

"Yes, blue hair is a very natural colour," said Hairo approvingly.

Since everyone was going about their usual routines, I myself would lapse into forgetting the unsolved mystery. Slowly, even I was getting desensitized by Kaidou's non-eight-grader self. His thoughts were never far from what he was saying. Not once did he ever think back of Dark Reunion and his days as The Jet-Black Wings.

I couldn't rest easy anymore. It wasn't like I wanted Kaidou to be back to normal… Heck, _this_ was normal, technically. But what happened exactly? Did he simply get over the phase? I wanted to know what my telepathy couldn't answer for me for a month. The mere fact that it had eluded me for so long intrigued me.

So I used my psychic powers on Kaidou. I threw in a bait.

This weekend was the premiere of the action-packed _Ninja Samurai E-Alchemist_. It was a remake of a classic anime that was sure to be loved by the older generation that grew up with it and by the children forced by their parents to love it like they did. I was neither of the two groups, but the big names working on it were enough to pique my interest. I could enjoy the movie by appreciating the animation, voice acting, and musical score. I also liked supporting well-made anime films if my budget could afford it.

With this information, Kaidou was sure to invite me. I had never let him know we had a mutual interest for the anime and manga industry until now. I was concerned he would never leave me alone (I was content with Nendou being Kaidou's go-to.) Since Kaidou had reformed, I feel more at ease with him knowing, even though he would never be able to recall the moment we talked about it. Because I never told him.

 _Oh, right! Ninja Samurai E-Alchemist is coming out this weekend. I was really looking forward to it five years ago when it was first greenlighted. I think Saiki might like it. It's weird that we never hang out for these stuffs before. Should I invite him? Hm. We're with the girls right now. I might put him in an awkward position._

Ah, that's right. _Ninja Samurai E-Alchemist_ was a magical girl anime. Like you, I'm wondering why they didn't might as well tack in "magical girl" in the title.

 _Why should it bother me though?_

"Hey, Saiki, are you free this weekend?"

That depends, why?

Teruhashi was around. I can't just say "yes" carelessly. I could already feel her presence going to _Offu_!-predator mode. She was a ruthless opportunist with the heavens by her side.

"There's an anime film premiering this weekend. It's made by some really big names in the industry and I think it's a world-wide release. It might be good."

Yumehara gasped. _Kaidou-kun, going to the movies? But he's inviting Saiki! Saiki must have told him he liked anime. Curse you, Saiki! How dare you make such a bold, daring move on my boy?_

Teruhashi internally gasped. _Saiki-kun, going to the movies? But he's being invited by Kaidou-kun. I didn't know Saiki liked anime. Who would have thought that he would have other interests besides sweets and myself? Curse you, Saiki-kun! How dare you hide this unpopular boy side of you so expertly from me?_

I might be able to go. I'll let you know later. (There's 'Kaidou' and 'anime' together, but yet again, neither Yumehara-san nor Teruhashi-san made any reference to the Kaidou we knew.)

"You're not just saying that to be nice to me, are you?" Kaidou grinned. "We can hang out and do something else if you want. Without Nendou making us look bad!"

The former Kaidou would have said the same line, but with more whining and Nendou arguing back. The current Kaidou said it as if it were a punchline. Everyone, including Nendou, laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean, _chibi_?"

This happy, ordinary picture made me uncomfortable for some reason, as though I could tell that, in this very moment, it wasn't my psychic powers that made me different from them.


	2. Bait and Fail

**Chapter 2: Bait and Fail**

* * *

The first time Kaidou and I met, he ran out crying for being bullied for his eight-grade syndrome and charged back in to jump in front of a venomous snake because he had an eight-grade syndrome. He didn't have any feasible plan other than to die, so I had to kill the snake, furthering his eight-grade syndrome.

At least to you readers, that was the "official" first meeting. I ignored Kaidou in our actual first scene together (it happened off-screen and only for a split-second. I don't even remember what it looked like because I blinked at that exact moment.) Most people would be annoyed or disappointed for a lack of reaction, but Kaidou's regressed mind operated differently. His interpretation leaped common sense and bounded over any logic. Since then, he had taken me for a kin. His favourite kin, sadly, even though I tragically wasted more brain cells with Toritsuka than I ever did being around Kaidou.

By default, Kaidou was around when Nendou was around. Odd as this might sound, but adding Nuisance 1 and Nuisance 2 together create a peaceful harmony in my situation. They annoy each other, which I ignore so that they could ignore me. Thus, despite the many scenes Kaidou and I share together, we barely have any direct interaction. It's like having a pet rock. Can anyone truly come to love a pet rock even if they spend every moment of their lives together?

Is Kaidou ever graduating pet rock status? That's what we're about to find out.

* * *

"Oh, Saiki! What a coincidence. You just got here too?"

Yes.

Though I can't say it was wholly a coincidence. I used clairvoyance beforehand to check where Kaidou was. For some reason, I was feeling uneasy when I got here, and this confirmed my suspicion…

Kaidou grinned apologetically. "Sorry, I had to take care of something this morning, so I was a bit late!"

That's right. Kaidou, the overemotional guy with a Chihuahua for a guardian spirit, was _late_.

"Well, we still have fifteen minutes to grab some snacks. What popcorn do you want?"

No, Kaidou. You're _late_. Fifteen minutes is a perfectly good amount of time to buy snacks for a movie. To normal people, you are cutting it a bit close, but not bad enough to actually _be_ late for the movie. In short, you were right on time.

Something was definitely wrong with that.

The only reason Kaidou would be late was due to a combination of over-excitement and sleep deprivation. But he showed no signs of exhaustion or rapid deterioration of consciousness… Does this mind he had a proper sleep last night? He wasn't so excited that he ended up sleeping at 3 AM?

If only I could read Kaidou's mind, I might glean something from what he did this morning. But as you may already be aware of, my telepathy is useless in a crowded place. A Saturday premiere was bound to be full of people, so I expected this to happen.

Anyway, it isn't important right now. There's a reason why I chose the theatre as the setting of my investigation. Watching an anime film is only the bait of a _trap_.

And Kaidou had already laid his eyes on one.

Surprise, bemusement…and, if I'm correct…

Yes, Kaidou gasped! He realized it!

"Saiki, look!"

I'm surprised it took Kaidou this long to notice. _Samurai Ninja E-Alchemist_ is an old anime that completely wowed an entire generation of adults back when anime was strictly made for children. It's not an exaggeration to claim that it even changed the anime landscape! I would say the impact was on the level of _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ , but I don't really get why it's so heavily worshipped so I can't really explain it well either.

But it's pretty popular. Popular, especially, among the stars of every anime convention.

 _Cosplayers!_

I know for a fact that Kaidou loves cosplaying. He may even frequent conventions, who knows? But I don't want you assuming that every anime film get this sort of attention though. _Samurai Ninja E-Alchemist_ just happens to be riding a very strong nostalgia wave at the moment. After twenty-five years, the devotees – I mean, fans – are getting a cash cow sequel.

Still, I can't read Kaidou's thoughts. But Kaidou's always been easy to read without telepathy. All I need is my pair of eyes and my keen, observant mind. Now, with this trap, reveal to me thy inner eight-grader! _Activate!_

Kaidou blinked at me. "Isn't that your brother? Is he back from Japan?"

…I said, _Activate!_ Did I summon Nendou's inner Nendou by accident? Kusuke graduated college a couple of months ago, so he's unfortunately back to Japan. Thankfully, he's squatting with our grandparents instead, where his filthy existence has been of some use to make our _tsundere_ grandpa happy. He's not in town. And even if he were, why the heck would he be in a theatre? And cosplaying—

"Yo, Kusuo!"

…My head did kind of hurt earlier. Could this be a premonition? If so, I have to do everything in my power to prevent this future from happening. Sorry, Kaidou, but I may have to blow away the ceiling to make sure this doesn't happen. We'll watch a movie neither of us really care about some other time.

Kusuke tilted his head as though to get a better angle of my face. "You don't look well. Could you possibly be thinking that this is just some sort of bad dream? Or, do I daresay…a premonition? What's wrong? Did you wet your pants?" Kusuke laughed softly.

I shouldn't justify that question with a response, but I'm obligated to mention that that someone else's running gag.

Wait, does that count as a spoiler? What's the canon point of this fanfic…?

Kusuke feigned surprise at seeing Kaidou with me. "It's Kusuo's friend! Where's the butt-chinned sidekick?"

"Nendou's not here. It's just Saiki and I. What are you – "

Kusuke had that "something's not quite right" look on me. "Kusuo doesn't go to the movies and I know this isn't a date. Someone's being out-of-character here." It can be frightening how on-point Kusuke's intuition is. He didn't say it was me, and of course, he had no reason to assume it was Kaidou.

Kaidou was trying to exchange glances with me, but… I don't know what to tell you, Kaidou. I had a plan to find out the reason for your character change last month. But an irritating NPC made his appearance in a scene I wasn't expecting him to be in. I sensed he was going to pop out one way or another, but as soon as Chapter 2? Is this story trying to move faster?

"I don't really get what you mean... But Saiki and I never really hang out before, you know? We're trying to fix that," said Kaidou optimistically, trying to bring the normalcy back. (I can't believe it would be _Kaidou_ …well, I could. He's not as bad as Nendou, but it feels as if _I'm_ the weird one Kaidou's trying to cover for.)

Kusuke hummed neutrally, still staring at me. He doesn't believe it at all.

What's the point of him being here? He wasn't making unfunny jokes to me or bullying anyone within my close proximity. He's just here being a big inconvenience to my plan for no apparent reason. Shoo, shoo. Don't leave the basement unless I tell you to.

"Hm? Oh! You're wondering what I'm doing here?" Kusuke smiled and gestured to the lab coat he was referring. "And I suppose you're not wondering about this. You don't care enough to be bothered to know."

If you already know that, why not respond to the one I cared enough to bother to know?

Kusuke hummed again, his smile growing cheeky. "I guess I never told you."

What…? I honestly don't care, but if it ends this quickly, just tell me.

It was Kaidou who put an immediate end to this pointless conversation. "I get it now," exclaimed Kaidou. "You're Sai-sensei!"

I see. Yes, this makes sense. I'm glad this mystery has been solved. Goodbye.

Kaidou grabbed my shoulder, not realizing I was about to make my extremely inconspicuous, super natural escape.

"Your brother's a fan, Saiki! Did you know that? I thought his antenna thing was some sort of fad in England, but seeing him in a lab coat made me realize he's paying homage to _Ninja Samurai E-Alchemist_!"

Kusuke laughed as though he were embarrassed by being exposed. "Oh no, you got me!"

Kaidou pointed at me. No…he was pointing at my limiters. "But I see now that you're an even _bigger_ fan, Saiki! That's what these hair pins are about, right? Look." He pointed to the giant movie poster on the wall. "They're the main character's trademark!"

"It's pretty embarrassing for my brother to find out my love for a magical girl anime," said Kusuke, not at all embarrassed. " _Ninja Samurai E-Alchemist_ was my childhood after all."

No, it wasn't. I know because Kusuke's childhood was spent on pointlessly trying to beat me.

"Oh, you were too young to remember, Kusuo. I was two years old when I first saw it, haha!"

Kaidou blinked. "You remember that far back?"

"Well, duh. I can even recall the first time my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. When Mama gave bi—"

Damn it, Kusuke, not everyone was a freak like you. It was time I not-so-subtly took my brother to the side. Kaidou appeared to be on his way to recovery. Don't infect him with anything weird.

"Hm, what's this about, Kusuo? You want to talk about something? Can't it wait after the movie? I'm kind of in a hurry here."

If you were in such a hurry, you wouldn't have wasted both our time. Just don't bother us. You already ruined my set-up.

"Just kidding! It looked like you were up to something, so I got curious. I'll leave you two alone." Before leaving, he patted me on the shoulder. "Just promise me you won't get mad. Bye-bye!"

I have no idea what he was talking about, but I will gladly keep in mind in blaming him for every incident to happen for the rest of the day.

* * *

 _"A world where psychic powers are used for the greater good of mankind? Impossible!"_ cried Wolven, the antagonist of the movie. He had just been beaten soundly by the protagonist, An Anne Anita after what was a semi-climactic showdown.

 _"I used to think the same as you, Wolven, but…"_ An plucked the pink limiters from her long, pink hair, suspiciously in the identical shade as mine. _"But my dear older brother's sacrifice has opened my eyes. I can't live this simple girl-next-door life anymore. No…"_ She shook her head sadly. _"Rather…I don't have a choice. This is fate."_

Wolven coughed his final breaths to curse the very man he groomed. _"I should have… left him to die… that day. An Anne Anita… One day, you will… curse him as I have…"_

 _"Maybe, Wolven. I'm not as strong as people think I am. Even now, I feel as if my resolve would not be enough. But it is because I am weak that I choose to believe. I want to believe… Believe in the future my brother, your protégé, died for."_

With her powerful telekinesis, An flew to outer space. It was a gorgeous trip to feast on, with the solemn and soulful Utada Hikaru music giving me chills. I could further attest to its impressiveness as I personally know flying to outer space wasn't as cinematic as the movie was making it to be. But the awe was enough to make me suspend my disbelief.

 _"I'm sorry for hiding my powers from everyone for this long. If I had shared what I could do to the whole world from the start, everyone would still be alive_."

I disagree. You can't make yourself responsible for every life no matter how omnipotent you are. But from what An had been through, I understand that she was speaking from the pain of losing the life she'd always known. This was the only path she saw that could lead her to redemption. At least in her eyes. If Wolven had survived, her fate would have been completely different.

An drew her Gaia Staff from its sheathe and performed the intricate Prometheus Immortal Seals she'd stolen from Wolven. With all her powers, she directed the energy to stop the destruction of the planet and bring it back to the way it was. It was another cinematic show afterward to signal the continuation of life, hope that continued to beckon the future.

I gasped, and so did the entire audience. A dark portal opened behind An, from which the Nine-Tailed Fox emerged and stabbed An with its last claw. I wasn't expecting this at all! An was going to live, right? I hadn't forgotten that the Nine-Tailed Fox was still alive, but the movie was almost over. Were they going to rush a second boss battle? Damn it, don't ruin it! I was ready to forgive the mediocre final boss.

But the portal suddenly closed. The Nine-Tailed Fox was too weak to fully materialize. An went limp. Instead of dramatically falling into earth and making some giant tidal splash in the sea (as I have; space trips are weird) she drifted in space with a bloodied dress and tears on her eyes…

We didn't hear anything from her. We didn't see her eyes to confirm if she were dead. She just drifted, with her face turned to the restored, blue planet. The screen darkened and the credits started to roll.

Wow, that was sad. I have actually already been spoiled right as we took our seats since some movie-goers who saw the fan showing decided to watch again. But I've forgotten about it and convinced myself that something else was going to happen to prove me wrong. I didn't think An would die like that. Did she feel alone? Did she see the beautiful world she worked to protect in her last moment?

The cinema remained dark. I've already overheard that there was an after-credits scene.

 _"Ah, Mama, let me carry him for you!"_

 _"Oh, Papa, it's okay. More importantly, where's –"_

A strangely very familiar family home. A boy with a shadowed face greeted his parents.

 _"Is that my brother? Why does he have pink hair?"_

 _"I know right? He's so cute!"_

 _"What's his name?"_ the boy asked promptly.

The mother gasped. _"Oh, we haven't even introduced him yet! His name is…"_

The voices faded as the screen eased out. My hands were balled into fists. You wouldn't _dare_ …

In the black screen, a name appeared.

[ KUSUO]

You heard that? That was Kusuke just now, yelling and disrupting the movie. He was seated two rows behind us, but I know his popcorn and the popcorns besides him just smacked him on the face. I know, because I did this.

I can't believe that guy actually did it. He just ruined a perfectly good movie for me. What was the point of it? Was it to scare me? A bad, absolutely pointless prank? The movie made such a big deal with the name when it made no sense whatsoever to make it seem like there was a deep meaning behind it! No one would find out I was psychic from this movie, but still…!

"Oh man, that blew me away!" said Kaidou as the lights turned back on. "I didn't know the 'E' in the title stood for ESP."

No one did, apparently, since _I_ didn't know. But what did Kaidou make up of that name in the end? It's just a bizarre coincidence to anyone. Even the eight-grader syndrome Kaidou wouldn't make such a baseless leap of logic.

"I really like the reincarnation scene they added. It gives it a hopeful ending. Like, I think An will finally get the ordinary life she wanted with a normal family, you know?"

Hahahahaha.

Well, I hope they don't make a comedy series about it.

We were about to leave when Kaidou stopped to loiter at the exit of the cinema for some reason. When he saw my confusion, he said, "Hm? Aren't we waiting for your brother?"

You don't even know him – Heck, I'm sure you don't like him either. We're obviously ditching him, come on.

Too late. Kusuke appeared, a stray popcorn wedged in his anti-telepathy invention.

"Hey, Kusuo, where are you going? I really wanted to hear what you thought of my dedication. Haha!"

Kaidou set his frown of confusion at me. "Dedication?"

I'm going to kill this guy.


	3. This Way is Fine, Too

**Chapter 3: This Way is Fine, Too**

* * *

Dear readers,

It is my belief that we are long overdue for a character death in this series. Don't worry. This is a sure way of boosting a character's popularity. I only want to help.

"Oh, Kusuo, you!" And so Kusuke proceeded to pat a pink bundle of murder on the head affectionately.

I've been beating myself up for a reason as to why my most unlikable family member would do this when there really ever was only one reason: to see my downfall. This was the man who had been trying to defeat me before I was fully a year old, keeping track every loss and every game we've ever had.

Kusuke didn't set this up. He saw the opportunity and decided to play the game, using Kaidou once more to keep me from using my psychic powers.

But unfortunately for you, Kusuke, this situation is nothing to panic over. I've had more disastrous events play out better than this… Or worse, whatever. In any case, I'll be showing you an incredible technique I've developed that can instantly resolve loose ends like this. Watch and learn…

 _ **EYE-ROLLING NO JUTSU! –**_

(What the heck - don't just put _jutsu_ in there. Besides, this isn't a ninja technique. It's a Quirk developed by an ESPer – and don't capitalize 'quirk' misleadingly either!)

For a brief moment, by concentrating really hard, I was able to hear Kaidou's thoughts. _Woah, Saiki rolled his eyes just now. Usually, he puts on some really weird ones. Like, he gets really cross-eyed with this scared look, or suddenly looking like someone had taken a piss on his Cheetos._

I'm not particularly fond of Cheetos, but I would probably destroy whoever takes a piss on my Cheetos.

 _I think this is the first time I've seen him with such a normal reaction. I guess there's a side he only shows to his family?_

Good enough. What I've discovered in years of being unable to not read people's minds is that humans always try to fill in inconsistencies to gain an acceptance over something. Basically, it's the same logic my Memory Eraser follows. It can be as vague as it gets, a guess that seems likely based on their own limited experience.

But when psychic powers aren't involved, the normal reaction would be to pursue the truth should a case seem too bizarre. Since ordinary people don't have psychic powers to instantly find the answers to their questions, it's probably for the best that they settle for assumptions or they'll never get anything productive done.

But wait, I'm not done yet. I'm not satisfied with just convincing Kaidou that nothing unusual was going on. I also want him to forget about this completely _without_ my powers.

Are you surprised? Why, that too is possible. Witness the result of years of intensive training…

 _ **WALKING AWAY NO JUTSU –**_

(Stop.)

Kusuke called after us. "Kusuo? Hey, Kusuo! Where are you going?"

That's right. After dispelling any importance to the question, all I have to do is to walk away from the conversation. To linger around will only validate suspicions. Even without the need to read Kaidou's mind, I know at least that one's immediate assumption would be that Kusuke was joking. I don't need to erase his memory with my powers. His own subconscious can do that by labeling this scene as "case closed" and he'll move on.

If he looked back to this day or had to tell someone how his weekend was, his first thought would be something general like, "Saiki's brother has a lame sense of humour," and not specifically, "I think Saiki is hiding something."

Kusuke gave up quickly. "Oh well, I guess I'll see you at dinner."

The only thing you'll be seeing tonight is a beating. Don't think just because I made a clean escape doesn't mean I've forgiven you. That sort of stunt might not endanger my secret, but it does affect me psychologically.

"Saiki, wait up!"

Kaidou had lagged behind for some reason. Did I walk too fast for him? I was only going by the natural speed of an Olympic sprinting athlete doing a morning jog with their German shepherd. Granted, it was the first time I've unleashed that particular ability, but I'm confident I pulled that off with so much naturalness. If I do say so myself, I'm on a roll today.

Kaidou is out of breath already. His poor physical ability is incurable, it seems. "Erm, are you heading home, Saiki?"

So you're psychic, too, huh, Kaidou? It sure is wonderful if other people could read my mind as well.

"Don't you want to have a bite?"

I've eaten enough during the movie.

Besides, I'm still pretty annoyed. I think I'll go to a certain lab and break a few hundred expensive equipment up.

"Ah, I… Yeah, that makes sense," said Kaidou, sounding disappointed.

I felt something odd about this for a split second, but the guilt sinking in me was the easiest to figure out first. Technically, it was me who invited Kaidou out. Granted, he and Nendou have wasted so much of my time before, but I don't want to be the same monster that they were and do the same unto him.

I don't want to take back my words all of a sudden though. That would be out-of-character. Maybe if I ask him what he had in mind… (Which I rarely ever have to do by the way.)

Before I could tell him anything though, Kaidou gained his spirit back like it was nothing. "Oh well. I guess I'll see you at school. Thanks for hanging out with me, Saiki."

The odd feeling has become more intensified. This was… an unusual reaction from Kaidou! Not just that, but also…

" _Ah, I… Yeah, that makes sense," said Kaidou, sounding disappointed._

He accepted my response too easily! The normal Kaidou would have begged me to stay and accompany him to _Unlimited Jean Works_ , a punk rock store that sells a lot of black jeans. It's right here in this mall just one escalator away, but Kaidou hasn't desperately offered it to me. He's been thinking about it for months, too.

And just now…

" _Oh well. I guess I'll see you at school. Thanks for hanging out with me, Saiki."_

It's so…unusual! He's letting me go like he actually understands my desire for personal space! Also, there was no need to bring back those dialogues as flashbacks. They're literally in the same page in the Word Document, geez.

I'm probably just thinking way too much on this, but since I can't confirm what's going on with Kaidou, I don't feel comfortable letting this end on an assumption like the first chapter. I'm not a normal person who don't have psychic powers (even though my telepathy is completely useless right now.) I need to find out the truth!

Kaidou blinked. "Huh? Did you change your mind?"

There's something important we need to discuss. Right now.

"You're looking more serious than usual. If it's Saiki, it must be really important." Kaidou considered this quietly for a moment. "All right. Why don't we head over that place and have some tacos?"

No, Kaidou. I mean it… _Right now_. This is the best opportunity I can get, right here in the middle of an unspecific location where the author doesn't have to describe the surrounding. The moment we take a step out of it, we're going to enter a new scene and a new page break. It will be a new set-up that's practically inviting more characters to show up. My brother was not the worst of our troubles…It's…

 _Clairvoyance – !_

" _Kokomi-chan, look at this cute heart-shaped picture frame! Don't you think it's perfect for us?"_

" _Sure… But why are there four slots? Shouldn't there be just two?"_

" _Hmm. Maybe you're supposed to put two pictures of you and the boy you like? Anyway, it still makes sense. It can have me and Kaidou-kun, and you and Saiki-kun!"_

" _It's too weird! And look, one of the slots is bigger than the others! No matter how you arrange the pictures, it looks like a…like a…"_

" _Like a?"_

" _Like...a…group…activity…"_

" _A foursome (date)? That sounds fun!"_

" _NO!"_

These two.

I already know they teamed up the instant Kaidou had invited me out. Their plan was to run into us after the movie and I've been using clairvoyance to keep track of their location since. But as I had planned, they got distracted by the 20% discount in the department store.

What a bunch of amateurs. Yumehara-san, I can understand, but Teruhashi-san? How weak-willed you've become.

"But it's right there, Saiki, and there's tons of seats available, too unlike the ice cream shop beside it with a 20% discount, which is jam-packed full of completely satisfied customers." Kaidou rubbed his chin. "Yeah, we definitely want to go to the one with free space for some privacy. Right, Saiki?" However, Kaidou suddenly realized he was alone. "…Saiki?"

Move your ass, Kaidou. That new scene and new page break isn't going to make itself.

"Where are you going?" exclaimed Kaidou, baffled. "Saiki, that ice cream shop is absolutely full! Look how long the line is!"

Mmm. 20% cheaper ice cream… _Mmm_.

* * *

This must be what heavens feels like.

"Oh, Saiki, you already finished your sweet red bean coffee ice cream? That was fast!"

And this emptiness that has nowhere to go must be reality. Where are we again? Can I go home now?

"S-Saiki, what's wrong?" fretted Kaidou, alarmed. "Who shattered your heart to a million pieces and sent you into the abyss of despair?"

This ice-cream-less cup I'm holding.

"Oh, you're just sad you don't have any left? Why didn't you say so?" The chair scrapped on the floor as Kaidou stood up. "Let me get you another one!"

My jaw dropped. The line hadn't gotten shorter at all, but Kaidou just went back into that hell without hesitation. I hurried after him. What was he thinking? If he's going to go that far…

At least make sure to take my money so you don't go to the cashier empty-handed!

Kaidou, taking notice of what I was doing, waved frantically. "What? No, it's my treat! More importantly, go back to our table! Someone's going to take it!"

It was fifteen minutes later when I would get another serving of ice cream. I've had enough time to evaluate my progress. It really isn't easy bringing up a topic that's honestly none of my business. I can back down…but I've already gotten this far.

No, I'm not that delusional. I haven't made any progress. Kusuke had already ruined my plan. But I was able to enjoy a movie in the theatre for the first time and eat two servings of discounted ice cream. This isn't really a bad turn of events. In fact, no normal planning would have led to this kind of fortune.

I should be satisfied with this. The only thing left is to make it up to Kaidou, who I had to drag around for the sake of satisfying my curiosity.

"So, Saiki." Kaidou came back with two plastic cups of water for us. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Oh, that? I drank the water. It was nothing important.

"But you said it was. You were looking really serious."

Was I? Well, in a sense, it _was_ important. I was just worried for no reason. Don't mind me.

"Worried…?" Kaidou stared at me with a small frown. "What could you be worried about?"

You're the one looking serious here, Kaidou. I was struck with a sudden concern for the future. You and I are both in our second year high school. It's normal for us to worry about our grades and what universities we'll end up in from time to time. We fool around, but I'm sure you know that we're different from Nendou in this regard.

Pretty stupid right? What's the point of being worried about school all of a sudden? I just had a minor freak out. Sorry for misleading you.

Kaidou swallowed nervously, still looking at me with intensity. "Saiki. I'm sorry, but that is something I want to talk about."

What, school? I never imagined that this day would ever come. Talking about school while eating ice cream with my classmate. Such normalcy… Go ahead, Kaidou. I believe I will grow accustomed to this normal version of you very easily. You also treated me today, so you honestly deserve it.

"Why do you lie about your grades?"

Kaidou laced his hands together on the table, his left hand distinct without their usual red bandages on them.

"Why have you never told us?"

…I'm not sure I follow what you're saying, Kaidou. (What was he on about?) How am I lying about my grades? Are you saying I'm cheating…?

"No. Maybe not grades. That's not something we've ever exchanged to each other. I'm talking about the exams. It was last year…Gah, it _can't_ be last year since we've only become classmates this year…" Kaidou scratched his head in confusion. "Now I sound like I'm talking crazy."

Yeah, sorry about that…

"But you remember that time Nendou scored higher than you in the finals, right?"

I do. You're not going crazy.

"I didn't really know you that well back then. But having borrowed notes and even copied homework from you, I realized that that doesn't really make sense. You're _much_ smarter than Nendou. Than me! There was no way that would have happened."

But it did.

"How can you score so average when you always pay attention in class?"

Life sucks, Kaidou. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you're still not good enough. Besides, have you thought that maybe I pay extra attention because I need to? I'm only barely keeping up.

There was something Kaidou didn't want to say. Whatever important reason he had for holding back though was starting to crumble.

"My sister, Sora, was looking through my books for advanced studies materials. She found the ones Mama had you and Nendou answer when you went over to my place…"

Ah. Kaidou's mother made us do homework when she found out we weren't a good influence to Kaidou. I didn't want to be lumped with Nendou, so I went ahead and answered all of them perfectly. It was all for the sake for coffee jelly, but there was no way I would have been so careless.

I made sure to have most of them be written using Nendou's ugly handwriting. It says a lot when you need ESP to copy that sort of chicken scratching. It certainly is suspicious for Nendou to be answering them, but he's an idiot. No curiosity is worth dealing with him.

And Nendou scored higher than me in the exams. There we go. It makes sense.

"Sora was astounded by how smart you two were. Nendou is an idiot, there's just no way. But you, Saiki… You're a mystery. You gave Nendou all the answers, didn't you?"

I'm sorry Kaidou, but you'll have to be there to believe it. Nendou did do all the work.

"He said he didn't do _anything_."

And that is your typical Nendou response.

"Your brother's a genius," he pointed out, but he knew that this was weak. His theory that I was faking average grades was not quite right, but the intuition behind it was. He was realizing that this and that wasn't adding up though he had no undeniable proof of it.

"I'm sorry," apologized Kaidou. It was so heavy it was like he was confessing to murder. What's wrong with you, Kaidou? Did something happen?

You don't need to sound so down about it. It doesn't bother me. You asked nicely, too.

"It _does_ bother you though. Your friend just accused you of _lying_. It's horrible. I'm horrible. I'm sorry. I know it wasn't worth it, but I couldn't control myself. I wanted to be honest and to make sure. I'm really sorry, Saiki. I just wanted you to trust me. Of course, after what I just did, I can understand why you won't anymore."

Kaidou's fingers squirmed, his shoulders hunched and depressed.

Is that all then?

"So, you are mad…"

I'm not.

Kaidou did not believe me.

 _Yare, yare_. What do I have to do to convince you? You're not making any sense. If I were mad, I would have stopped talking to you.

Kaidou sighed. "I shouldn't have opened my big mouth…"

Why won't he believe me? What can I throw in his head to distract him from this pointless conversation?

I'm not upset. On the contrary, I'm quite happy. I had fun hanging out with you. It's nice to not have Nendou around us once in a while. You two usually end up bickering with me stuck in the middle. Though I think we should keep this to ourselves. He'd never let it go when he finds out we didn't invite him along.

Kaidou chuckled. But his smile only came for an instant.

Oh, right. There's a shop I wanted to check out. Would you mind coming with me?

"Huh? Oh, I'll go!" Kaidou quickly stood up. "Where is it?"

I need a new pair of pants. I think there's this certain jeans shop just one escalator away. I'm thinking of getting something black…

"Jeans? And you want something black? Oh, I think I know what you're talking about!"

"Ah, Kaidou-kun!"

"Saiki-kun!"

Yumehara-san and Teruhashi-san had just arrived. I suspect Yumehara-san bought the very unusual picture frame they saw. When I asked what it was, Teruhashi-san looked like she was holding her breath.

"It's a cute picture frame for me and Kokomi-chan!" giggled Yumehara-san, sending a meaningful glance toward Teruhashi-san that she did not appreciate.

Teruhashi-san expertly changed the subject. "Oh, right! You and Kaidou-kun made plans to watch a movie, right? Did it just ended?"

Yeah. I lied since I know mentioning the ice cream shop would bring them there. Odd as it may sound, I want to leave that place. If we're going shopping, at least I have a reason to not interact with them. Though maybe I could use it to keep the two of them away…

Yumehara-san leaned to the side, peering behind me. "Heeey, Kaidou-kun! What's wrong?"

Kaidou had somehow lagged behind again. I didn't even notice. He joined us with a look of confusion.

"Some kid wanted to shake hands with me," he said.

"Oh?" Yumehara-san pondered half-heartedly. "Maybe they're playing a game?"

"Don't know," shrugged Kaidou, pocketing his left hand. "It was weird."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Just wanted to say thanks to everyone reading, especially those dropping reviews! Like every fanfic author, I do appreciate them a lot. This took a lot longer. I was hoping somehow do it bi-weekly, but oh well! There were some important decisions I had to make on the direction of the story. Right now, I'm happy with what I've thought of. Now, what shall happen next? /chuunibyou kaidou voice.


	4. Kusuke's Visit

**Chapter 4: Kusuke's Visit**

* * *

What a long day. I'm tired. I almost forgot what I went out for on a weekend in the first place. I intended to find out what made Kaidou undergo a character change, but I ultimately settled for just not knowing. Then when Teruhashi-san and Yumehara-san showed up, I never got the chance to leave and so I ended up spending the entire day with them. _Yare, yare_. I need a month-long vacation after something like that.

At least I'm home now, where it's calm and peaceful. I can finally let my guard down a bit.

Or so I would like to say.

"Welcome home, Kuu-chan!"

"Oh, Kusuo, you're home?"

"Kusuo's home? Isn't he supposed to say ' _tadaima~'_?"

Dad shook his head disapprovingly, crossing his arms with an annoyed huff. "You were no better, you know… The first thing you said coming back was 'Wow, this house has gotten smaller and shabbier! What kind of breadwinner would let his family live in this poverty-stricken condition?'"

Kusuke laughed. "Don't take it the wrong way, Papa…"

"There isn't a right way to take it!"

"I was just thinking, seeing how much my family is struggling financially, that it's part of my responsibility to help them as the oldest son of the family. I don't want Papa to bear all the burden."

Dad's face softened. "Kusuke, you…"

"Or rather than 'bearing the burden,' I should say 'lacking any sort of dignity to bear' with how often you shamelessly ask favours from Kusuo instead of begging for some of my eight billion yen, haha."

Dad's face reddened. "Kusuke, you..! _" Just Kusuo? Psh, I lose 50% less of my dignity with him! It's a good thing Kusuke doesn't know about the shoe-licking part in my work!_

Don't forget about the shoe-licking part of his work.

"Oh, and I can't forget about the shoe-licking part of your work."

I could smell Mom's cooking of curry and grilled fish. I'm still full from the food I had outside, but I can't let her food made out of love go to waste.

…Actually, hold on.

"All right, everyone. It's not much, but let's at least we're eating as a family of four again!" exclaimed Mom excitedly before finally noticing me standing still from afar. The remaining sit, after all, was right beside Kusuke. Her joy was quick to turn to concern, making me feel bad. "Oh, what's wrong, Kuu-chan?"

Sorry, but I ended up eating outside with my classmates. I should have telepathically contacted you to let you know. But can I skip dinner tonight?

Mom tripped over nothing and Dad suddenly fell from his chair. His bowl of rice almost went flying if I hadn't caught it with my telekinesis at the last second. Once more, I have to keep fixing Dad's mistakes.

"Kusuo has friends?" exclaimed Dad.

" _KU-CHAN HAS FRIENDS!"_ exclaimed Mom intensely. Dad was shocked, but I can see Mom losing her mind. " _Ku-Ku-Ku-Ku-chan spent time with f-f-f-f-f-f-f…"_

I'd use the term 'friends' lightly. Very, very lightly.

Kusuke seemed to finally take notice of our parents' insanity. "Oh, what's going on with you two? Is Kusuo saying something?" He gave the scene one look. "Ah, if I had to guess, it has something to do with Kusuo spending time with his classmates?"

Thank you for using that term. Wait, you only saw Kaidou, didn't you? How did you know about Teruhashi-san and Yumehara-san?

"I only saw Kusuo with that kid with the overbearing mother. But I assumed he was out there with a bunch of his other classmates. Otherwise, it would be weird being alone with another guy in a mall. Oh, was I wrong? That's interesting!" Kusuke smiled at me. "I'm usually never wrong. What did you do differently today, Kusuo?"

Mom screamed. She pounced at me for an embrace, sobbing. " _KU-CHAN, MAMA IS SO PROUD. AYUUUUH."_

Mom, please.

Dad shook his head, smiling. "Look at you, Kusuo. Finally learning how to interact with normal people. Maybe Kusuke can learn a thing or two from you."

Kusuke pouted. "How mean, Papa. Kusuo is too special for me to match up. I'm your ordinary son, remember?"

"You know what I'm talking about," said Dad, rolling his eyes and taking a bite out of his fish

"Nope."

"You're two years older than Kusuo, but you've never even had a girlfriend!"

"Don't worry about grandchildren. There's no way I'll let Mama's genes go to waste after all." Kusuke took some of the sliced apples. "I just need to figure out how to sort out this cloning process…"

I thought Dad would derail the conversation with this piece of information. Surprisingly, he didn't. By the way, I'm still standing here with Mom soaking my shirt. Can any of you at least get her to calm down before we move on?

"You don't have friends either, even though you don't have psychic powers stopping you from having a normal social life. Kusuke, incredibly smart, rich, and talented that you are, you can't live alone!"

"Oh, I know that," agreed Kusuke. "I do have friends. Although like Kusuo, I'd use the term very, very lightly."

You might not have been 100% right today, but your telepathy-like powers still surprises me.

The news made Dad look excited anyway. He really shouldn't get his hopes up too quick. None of his children are normal… What with how abnormal their father is.

"So you did clean up your act! Who is it? Is it a rival who've sworn to win more Nobel Prizes than you? A younger student who wants to overtake their teacher by winning more Nobel Prizes?"

I know this is a fanfic based on a shounen nanga, but is that how clichéd your expectations are? And is winning more Nobel Prizes the only appropriate plot you know?

Kusuke laughed. "Papa, you're funny. There's no way anyone can win more Nobel Prizes than me."

"Oh, of course. It's just an example." _Personally, I think it makes for a good manga plot_.

Don't give the author ideas.

"My friends are barely on my level. In fact, they're barely above the level of the ordinary monkeys, haha. It's pretty impressive, really."

I don't think you're using the term 'friends' at all here.

Dad finally took notice of my problem. "Mama, how long are you going to cry there?"

"KUU-CHAN AND KUU-KUN HAVE FRIENDS. AYUUUH. IT JUST…IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY." After one final _Ayuuuh~_ , Mom finally calmed down, sniffing. "Papa, we're not bad parents."

Dad got teary-eyed all of a sudden. "Mama…"

One of the chairs scrapped as it was moved, but it wasn't Dad. It was Kusuke who stood up. He looked at me meaningfully. "Hey, Kusuo, since you're not eating dinner, why don't we go out and take a walk together?"

Dad looked confused, but did not ask more. "Kusuo just got back. Let him rest, Kusuke."

No, I'll go. I've been left to stand here the entire scene that my legs have hurt. I could use a walk.

Mom looked at the two of us, worried for a good reason. "You two aren't going to fight, are you?"

Kusuke chuckled. "Of course we won't. You two might not recognize it, but there's a form of friendship between us."

Juts so you know, I'm going to take this as an insult with how you apparently view your friends.

"Don't stay out too late, you two!" called Dad.

"We hear you!" replied Kusuke, grabbing his coat. As soon as we got out and the door shut behind us, I took my brother by the shoulder and teleported us.

Kusuke reeled from the sudden brightness. I teleported us to the deserted island where my classmates and I were shipwrecked for six days of weekly updates.

* * *

"Here I thought you'd take us to your room."

You wanted us to go for a walk. I took us to the other side of the world.

"Hmm, judging by the sun and the wildlife in this island, we're not technically on the other side of the world. I say we're in a deserted island located on the far southeastern of—"

All right, all right. I'm tired, so can you make this quick? What do you want? Are you looking for a fight?

And don't ask me how I was able to interrupt him when I can't telepathically communicate with Kusuke. Ask him instead.

Something unexpected happened. Kusuke became serious. "Let's get straight to the point then. Kusuo, have you used your brainwashing power recently?"

I frowned. The last time I used it was to tell my school that Teruhashi-san wasn't sick. Is a part in my control device broken again?

It was Kusuke's turn to frown. He cupped his chin, in deep thought. "No…I need to know for sure." He pulled his telepathic canceler, much to my shock. "Can you repeat what you just said, Kusuo?"

He's taking off his telepathic canceler for this? Why?

 _I don't think Kusuo changed the world… At least not intentionally. Well, I'm not really sure of that either…_

Of course I haven't. The last time something of grand scale happened was when I slipped through time because of the defective part in my control device.

"Hmm. There aren't any other psychics like you, are there?" _Besides that spirit medium._

There's another one. She's much stronger than Toritsuka, but she's a clairvoyant. Her name is Aiura Makoto and her predictions have a pinpoint accuracy. She's stronger than me in that regard.

And if you want to meet her, I'd have to know why.

Kusuke wasn't even surprised that I knew he wanted to meet her. Of course, it's because I read his mind.

"This may sound crazy, but I think the world had changed without either of us noticing, Kusuo. Well, I did sort of notice it but it's just a hunch. Well, I also conducted experiments to prove that the world had somehow changed and I was right."

So is it a hunch or a fact?

"I've never been as unsure in anything in life as I was with beating you. This is Serious News."

A new Serious Arc, huh? Certainly, Aiura might be able to help us glean if something were wrong. But what kind of 'change' do you mean exactly?

This must really be serious, because it was the first time I've seen Kusuke with an intense confusion on his face. "I don't know… Frankly, it's pissing me off. Whoever's causing it makes me want to destroy them."

Why are you so sure it's a person?

"It can _only_ be another human being. After all, you're here."

Are you saying we might be facing a psychic as powerful as me?

Kusuke nodded. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this psychic might be more powerful than you, Kusuo. You better be careful."

Interesting. I'll tell Aiura to meet us after school then. I'll owe her a favour for this, but it's for a worthy cause.

"No, we're meeting her now." Kusuke brought out his phone.

I might be psychic, but even I can't pinpoint people's locations. And I don't know where she lives.

There was a beeping from his phone. "There, done. I've searched for her location through the satellites."

That sounds incredibly unlawful and an invasion of privacy…but what's done is done. Show it to me, so I can get us there.

Kusuke stared at his screen. "Hmm, I don't know. It would be illegal to have you step into this kind of establishment."

Oh, don't worry about that. It's not what you think it is…I think.

Kusuke showed me the establishment's front full of pictures of young women and school-aged girls. One of the signs read "xx yen for a private time with one of our beauties (heart)"

...Probably.

* * *

Why are we going from the entrance?

Kusuke chuckled. "You're asking as if that's not the normal thing."

Our being here is anything but normal. You hacked into the satellites to locate an employee here and after seeing a photo of the place, I teleported us from a deserted island. I then went invisible since I'd prefer if I don't want to be seen in a place like this.

"People aren't your servants who answer to your beck-and-call, Kusuo. Your friend's working here, right? We wait for our turn then."

I doubt Aiura would mind if I came in unannounced into her room, but Kusuke doesn't need to know that.

 _Well, since this girl is a powerful clairvoyant according to Kusuo, she's the one who most likely made contact with him in the first place. Maybe she thinks he's her soulmate that's why wouldn't mind if Kusuo came in unannounced into her room… Nah, there's no way her character is that easy to figure out from a single glance._

Damn it.

The owner, voluptuous and with a soft-spoken, enigmatic face, regarded us warmly. She would have looked so motherly if she didn't wear revealing clothes that would make Kaidou immediately excuse himself to the bathroom. "I see a new, handsome face. Welcome, young man!"

"Good evening, ma'm. I'm interested in having – " He glanced at the portraits of posing women on the board, their names inside giant hearts. "—Miko-chan read my fortune."

"Oh, you must have heard of our Miko-chan~ You sure you don't want to try someone…more mature?" She crossed her arms, emphasizing…those.

"Hmm, maybe next time, ma'm! I'm kind of too nervous to have a one-on-one with someone so experienced."

The owner giggled. "No need to be so formal…"

"In that case, I'm Saiki Kusuke," said Kusuke, flashing a charming smile.

"Kusuke-kun, how cute! I'll let Miko-chan know. She promised her current customer will be the last for tonight, but she'll get angry at me if I don't let her see a _troubled_ boy like you. I'm curious what kind of reading Miko-chan will get. Oh, but don't worry!" She leaned over the counter to wink at us, giving us a better view of her womanly assets from their special window. "We do practice customer confidentiality. We won't tell anyone about the _big_ thing you'll show us."

She meant his future, right? Still, this was disgusting to hear.

"Thank you so much!" chimed Kusuke as if he were oblivious to the signs. He was not.

 _Wow, Kusuo, I didn't know your friend was a prostitute._

She's not. That, I'm sure of, at least.

It was ten minutes later when Aiura popped into the waiting room, searching for me in the empty sit beside Kusuke. She already knew I was here, invisible. I contacted her when she got the call from the owner.

Aiura shifted her attention to my brother. It didn't look like it was the first time she'd seen him, though this was definitely their first meeting.

"I see you're the real deal, Miko-chan. You're not even surprised to see me. It's like you already know Kusuo has a brother."

"Where's Kusuo?"

Right here.

I turned off my invisibility. There was no one but us anyway.

Aiura seemed to already understand that something was amiss for me to drop by all of a sudden, and with a brother she might already be aware of in tow. I am not known to make pleasure visits.

"Let's get inside," said Aiura.

* * *

"Sorry for the wait. The last customer was stubborn and had the wrong idea of the kind of establishment we're running."

So did this guy.

"That's understandable. People can be troublesome," said Kusuke. "Sorry for making you work overtime. I'll be sure to leave a big tip."

Aiura grinned at me. "Your brother's really considerate unlike you."

You wouldn't call him considerate if you knew what he really thought of you.

 _This bimbo's good with moving in skimpy clothes._

Don't call her that, and what she wears is none of your business.

Kusuke chuckled. "That's funny coming from you, since you see everybody naked."

"What kind of telepathic discussion are you two having?" demanded Aiura.

"Kusuke thinks you look lovely in that dress."

I do not.

"He does?" exclaimed Aiura, blushing. It was short-lived. "Wait a minute, no he doesn't! As if Kusuo can be enticed by a human that isn't made out of coffee jelly!"

What are you suggesting would happen between me and that cross of an abomination?

"Haha. Your friend knows you well, Kusuo."

Aiura sighed, running a hand through her bleached blond hair. "All righty peeps, let's get serious now. Is the fate of the world hanging on the balance or something?"

"Hmm. Probably not. Right now, it's probably just for my peace of mind."

He thinks the world has changed somehow.

Aiura scrunched up her eyebrows. "Ha?"

"Can you look into our future? You don't have to tell us what you see. Just check if everything is normal."

"All right…" Aiura wrapped her hands around her crystal ball and stared at contents only she could witness. "Hmm. Everything looks normal. Kusuo missed out on a second lifetime supply of coffee jelly and you're drafting a countermeasure in case Kusuo goes on a rampage. Are you Batman?"

Wait, what? Tell me more about the coffee jelly.

"Just the normal then? Hmm." Kusuke pondered again. "Well, if the clairvoyant Kusuo highly thinks of says so, I have no choice but to believe it. We'll take our leave."

Aiura yawned, waving us off. "Okay. But don't bother paying. I feel bad taking money when I barely did anything."

"Aren't you glad, Kusuo? Since you volunteered to pay."

Fine, I'll pay. But only if Aiura does something for me.

Aiura blushed beet red. "K-Kusuo, don't say that right in front of your brother! Not that I'm saying no…"

I'm talking about reading someone else's future. If you're too exhausted though, we can do this another day.

"No way, it will be a quickie. Whose future do you want read?"

Everyone in my class.

"What?"

But I want you to start with Kaidou Shun.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Thanks to all the anon/guests who reviewed! I received so many things I am unworthy of XD Thank you! They mean a lot to me!

This chapter may not be that polished because of the time gap of the time I wrote the first and second half (I immediately started the first few pages after the last chapter.) Stuffs happened and all. This isn't really my best work, but I wanted to write anyway and do a Saiki fanfic! If there are more delays to come, I will put an update in my tumblr writing blog, themostlogicalthing dot com.

Some notes:

\- I don't know if this was actually the first time Kusuke and Aiura met with the canon point I had in mind. But you know, I'll take some liberties.

\- There are errors I never bothered to fix in chapter 1. I will perhaps fix them one day xD

\- I CANNOT speak gyaru gah

\- I should probably get a beta reader haha


End file.
